beauty

On demand beauty app, beGlammed, delivers your personal beauty team straight to your door. Simply tap the app to request the industry’s top beauty teams, then sit back, relax, and beGlammed. Currently, services are offered in New York, Los Angeles, Orange County, Las Vegas, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Houston—and will be expanding in 2015. Catch the trend at beGlammed.com.

Elizabeth Arden and The Fashion Guitar blogger, Charlotte G., are joining forces to reveal one of the secrets to radiant-looking skin: the Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE Anti-aging regimen, including PREVAGE Anti-aging Daily Serum, clinically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, and uneven skin texture. Born in the Netherlands and transplanted from London to New York, Charlotte was inspired by her past career in fashion—and an electric guitar belonging to her husband—to launch her personal-style blog, The Fashion Guitar. Check back in next month’s issue to see how PREVAGE has helped Charlotte transform her skin from the inside out, and visit thefashionguitar.com/prevage to learn more about her personal PREVAGE experience.

Introducing the first fragrance for men from Jimmy Choo—a powerfully fresh and modern scent created for the confident and cultured man with a rebellious spirit. Refined notes of lavender, pineapple leaf, and elegant patchouli blend together to forge a sophisticated fragrance that is distinctive and alluring. Visit bloomingdales.com.

Right now, there’s a right buzz around bees in beauty. We’re going back to basics, and it’s humble beeswax, the material that bees use to build their nests, and not bee venom, that’s getting me in a tizz. The enigmatic Burt’s Bees, purveyor of that number-one selling lip balm, brought beeswax into mainstream consciousness. Now, beekeepers from Tanzania to South Africa are harvesting it to produce an eco-friendly product that’s being used in a new guise: exfoliation. Because beeswax beads have a smooth surface, they don’t scratch or aggravate skin, making it the ideal way to dissolve dry patches, those tiny goose fleshy bumps on the backs of the arm, and a summer’s worth of skin-whipping into a gleaming canvas for the sensitive souls among us. Simply Bee’s Beeswax Ointments, made in Cape Town, are uncomplicated, one-tub-does-it-all formulations, while Burt’s Bees tried and tested formulas always deliver. For something a bit more “out there,” try beeswax-infused Eco Botanica Jojoba Bead Scrub made by Guru Darshan, in Los Angeles, who chants into each of her products.

Diablo Cody, the award-winning screenwriter of Juno, isn’t afraid to speak her mind about her past and her passions. As Revlon’s outspoken “New Provocateur,” Cody tells the truth about being vulnerable and enhancing her “real” beauty in her new “Bold Moves” video. Watch it exclusively at youtube.com/revlon.

Diablo Cody, the award-winning screenwriter of Juno, isn’t afraid to speak her mind about her past and her passions. As Revlon’s outspoken “New Provocateur,” Cody tells the truth about being vulnerable and enhancing her “real” beauty in her new “Bold Moves” video. Watch it exclusively at youtube.com/revlon.

Ladies, get ready for a beauty app revolution. Meet Makeup Genius, the first mobile, 3D makeup tester that allows you to try on makeup in real time. Before, makeup apps could only render colors on to a pre-uploaded static image. Now, using advanced facial mapping technology, L’Oréal Paris transforms your iPhone or iPad’s front-facing camera into a virtual makeup mirror. Facial expressions are detected and reproduced on your smartphone, allowing for a result that looks like you’ve actually applied makeup. Click here to download the app and experience makeup like never before—and be sure to check out my signature summer shade, Colour Riche Extraordinaire in Fuchsia Orchestra, too.

On Thursday, August 7, Vanity Fair will take part in the Look Good Feel Better National Beauty Editors Day, at Saks Fifth Avenue, in New York City. Guests will have the opportunity to experience exclusive, one-on-one consultations with Vanity Fair beauty director SunHee Grinnell and receive a special gift from Chanel Beauty. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Look Good Feel Better, a program that helps cancer patients cope with the appearance-related side effects of treatment. For more information and to book an appointment, log on to lookgoodfeelbetter.org/register.

It seems that the whole lot of us in the V.F.C.S.D. suffers from a bit of wanderlust: in the past year alone, we’ve (collectively) traveled to such far-flung and exotic locales as Iceland, Israel, London, Barcelona, Montreal, Paris, Scotland, and Mexico—not to mention our regular junkets to Miami, D.C., the West Coast, and nearly every city in between. So anything that can ease the transition from one place to another is something we absolutely cherish. That purveyor of top-of-the-line, T.S.A.-ready beauty products, 3floz.com, has taken its genius to automated retail machines in airports across the country. So, forget about checking your bags in order to accommodate your full-size bottle of Fekkai Full Blown Volume Shampoo—you can pick it up (along with items from brands including Dr. Hauschka, Malin and Goetz, Murad, and Supergoop!) with your Starbucks after you’ve traversed security. Click here to locate a 3floz.com machine in an airport near you.

Spring is finally here and you know what that means: vacation! Weekend getaways upstate, trips to the Coast, jaunts across the pond. Wherever our jet-setting take us, one of our beauty bag must-haves is Elizabeth Arden’s Prevage® Anti-aging skin care that helps protect and correct skin’s appearance from environmental threats—a leading cause of visible aging signs—for younger-looking, more beautiful skin. The new Intensive Repair Eye Serum tightens, firms, and smooths the look of the skin around the eyes; the Intensive Repair Daily Serum for the face improves skin’s texture and tone for younger-looking skin. Check out more secrets to jet-set-worthy skin and spring beauty travel tips here. And happy travels.

In these days of loofahs and luxury body washes and scrubs, there are few things as pleasingly simple as a bar of soap. With only 10 ingredients, including oils of olive, coconut, and avocado, Craftsman Soap Company’s Activated Charcoal is a fragrance-free soap with a touch of texture. The activated bamboo charcoal helps lifts the New York City grime away, leaving your skin ridiculously clean. But have no fear: if charcoal soap is not your thing, you can rely on the Green Clay Peppermint and Blood Orange and Bergamot to keep you clean.

What, you ask, is the fabulous product causing a great deal of excitement in my morning skincare routine these days? Well, I’ll tell you: Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45. The coveted Korean formula is an almost-too-good-to-be-true, four-in-one primer, moisturizer, sunscreen, and treatment serum that actually delivers. It’s the only thing I wore on my face last summer, and for the cooler months, Dr. Jart plus a drop of foundation does the trick perfectly. And anything that cuts down on the beauty-cabinet clutter gets an automatic A+ from me. —Tracy Hoveln

As we’ve mentioned in blog posts past, we are big fans of all things beauty—and nothing makes us happier than packaging that is as gorgeous as the scent or color it contains. And so we practically plotzed with delight over the new Tory Burch Beauty Collection: the designer’s first fragrance and beauty capsule collection is classic and unexpected, feminine and tomboy, easy and polished and includes fragrance, body, color, and home—all designed as chic accessories for the most elegant of vanities. Our favorites: the lip and cheek tint in Cat’s Meow; the gorgeous fragrance collection candle; and the eau de parfum spray designed to bedeck your favorite dressing-table top. Read more about the personal history that inspired Tory’s first fragrance here.

Today’s post comes from Tessa Mu—the curator, author, photographer, and dreamer behind the fashion and lifestyle blog, Anecdoche, which translates to “a conversation in which everybody is talking but nobody is listening.”

Marc Jacobs is the latest designer to make a foray into the beauty world with the launch of a 122-piece collection of bold, rule-breaking color cosmetics. The line is available at Sephora, select Marc Jacobs boutiques, and online at marcjacobs.com—but what is most exciting about this debut is the opening of Jacobs’s beauty-centric boutique dedicated exclusively to matters of maquillage. The space at 385 Bleecker Street, in New York’s quiet but hip West Village, is just one of the designer’s many boutiques dotting that neighborhood. This one, however, is a true gem: 500-square feet lined with luxe, lacquered counters and glossy floor-to-ceiling mirrors, the store resembles “a jewelry box”—a personal request made by C.E.O. Robert Duffy. Swing by to experience the beauty gondolas overflowing with bright lippies and glittering nail polishes for yourself.

New York fashion week may be over, but spring 2014 hairstyles spotted on the runways of Diane von Furstenberg and Rachel Zoe are already making their way on to the streets. I asked stylist Jerome Lordet of New York’s Pierre Michel Salon to give me his predictions for which locks you should lockdown now.

Most Requested Runway Style: “The most popular hairstyle we’re expecting in the salons will definitely be soft, sexy, tousled waves, spotted on the runway of designer Diane von Furstenberg. It’s a look that can easily go from day to night.”

Going Runway to Street: “Any style on the runway can be done on anyone, but most styles require the help of a stylist. Braids are the exception. Chunky, messy French braids, as spotted in the Rachel Zoe show, are the easiest to recreate yourself.”

Preventing A Runway Disaster: “Sometimes what you see on the runway is a bit extreme because the shows can be dramatic events. The style might work if you have an elaborate occasion, but not for everyday. As stylists we have to lead the client to something that works for them all the time, not just for a night.”

Don’t be Afraid to Accessorize: “Messy up-do’s are the best hairstyles to pair with accessories. They are simple style to achieve and aren’t time consuming. The accessory will not only hold the style in place, but also give dimension to the hair. Zac Posen’s models were the perfect example of how to achieve this look.”

While I was out shopping the other day, I made an impulse purchase and picked up You Smell paper soap. Sounds horrible (and messy), right? Wrong! The cute packaging is what initially lured me in, but this stuff really works. The paper soaps lather and clean just as if you were using a liquid or bar soap, without leaving skin dry or sticky and the light, fragrant smell is simply lovely. These paper soaps are perfect for sticking in your bag when you don’t know what kind of soap you might run across, if any, at a bar or restaurant or public restroom. And for those who are simply too skeptical to try out soap made out of paper, You Smell offers creamy butter bar soap and liquid washes, too. —McKee Falk

I have a new obsession: dressing in neutral colors. Whenever I can find a combination of white, tan, black, or gray, I feel like I’ve created a new look in an easy way. Another thing I’ve recently become preoccupied with is finding a fix for the lovely new lines I have on my forehead. For the past few months, I did my best to go makeup free, but once I hit (dare I say it?) the 30 mark in April, I started to notice some fine lines popping up here and there. Thankfully, I was recently introduced to Revitalift Miracle Blur Oil Free. In the warmer months, I try to avoid foundation but really needed something to erase my new wrinkles and decrease the size of the pores peeking out … and Miracle Blur did just that. So while I am dressing in neutrals, I’ll have a clean, natural face to match! See more posts from Damsel in Dior here.

I don’t think it’s a secret that when it comes to eyelashes, we all want to achieve a longer and bolder look. I know I certainly do. But thanks to Mother Nature, I am stuck with very fine, poker-straight, not-even-remotely-as-long-as-I-would-like-them-to-be eyelashes. Normally, I resort to eyelash curlers (otherwise known as medieval torture devices) and two to three coats of mascara, a practice which, of course, results in lots of clumps and flakes. So, when L’Oréal Paris approached me to try the new Voluminous Butterfly mascara, I was quite eager to see what it could do for my barely there fringe. The first thing I noticed about the Voluminous Butterfly mascara was the asymmetrical brush with its tightly packed, flexible bristles which helped to lift and extend lashes outward. After applying just one coat, I immediately noticed a difference in the way my eyelashes looked. They were definitely fuller, longer, completely clump-free, and beautifully winged-out, especially on the outer corners—something I could only dream of before. And the effect lasts all day, without any flakes or smudges. Finally, since my eyes are a bit sensitive, they often react badly to certain mascara formulas (think red, watery eyes … not pretty at all). I didn’t experience any such effects with the Voluminous Butterfly mascara. So, if you are sensitive like me or maybe wear contact lenses, definitely give this one a try! See more posts from Viva Luxury here.

When it comes to my hair, I love to experiment with color. For that reason, it is important that my hair is strong and healthy. Damaged hair is one of my pet peeves, so I am always trying new hair treatments that will keep my hair looking great. Today, I tried out L’Oréal Paris Triple Resist Ultimate Strength Solution, an intense, leave-in treatment that instantly helps target fragile, weak points to reinforce and refortify even breakage-prone hair. And the results are in: I am so happy with this treatment. My hair feels stronger, it looks healthier, and it feels healthier. There was a lot less breakage and even my hair color looks rich. And what’s even better is that I don’t have to spend crazy money to keep my hair healthy. I’m definitely keeping Triple Resist with me for the long haul! See more posts from Fashion Bananas here.

Here in the Vanity Fair Creative Services Department, we love some good swag, particularly when it comes from an in-house beauty sale. What’s a beauty sale, you ask? Well, the benefit of working in a building surrounded by so many magazines is that their editorial departments are sent tons of beauty products in the hopes that they will be featured in the magazine. Any duplicates or things that don’t get tested go into a closet where they’re collected for months until it’s time to sell them to the clamoring masses at the other magazines. And we’re not referring to a handful of lip glosses—we’re talking thousands of products. At these kinds of sales, almost everything goes for $5 or less and all the money is collected and donated to a charity. Sounds great, right? Right … until you run out of whatever high-end product you bought for a dollar that you now need to replace. But you’re hooked on $40 eyeliner and $30 lipstick that you must have … and must pay full price for. Oh well, there are worse problems to have than an expensive beauty habit, and sometimes, it pays to splurge. Rouge D’Armani lipstick (in 400, 401, and 601) and Guerlain “Khol Me Kajal” eyeliner are among my favorite beauty-sale finds and worth every penny.